Coaches!

[TexDoc]

Before my high school game Saturday night, I went and did my pre-games with the coaches.  One coach whips out this printed out full-page list of things we need to watch for and tell us what the rules are.  Wow.  One of them was: "our punter is a rugby style kicker and we know the rule is that once he starts running, he can go 5 yards from where he caught the ball and kick it on the run and still have protection."  My response, not tonight coach.  He swore I was wrong.  His other items were who exactly to watch on any given type of play and that his receivers were going to get held every play!

Opening kick, same coach's player catches the ball at their 9 yard line returns the ball about 70 yards.  Problem is, he put his hand above his head before he caught it, who knows why.  I'm sure he didn't want a fair catch.  The coach about blow a gasket saying the kid was just moving into position to catch the ball.  Nope.  They got the ball on the 9.  Guess I should have flagged for delay, but I didn't have the heart to.

[Atlanta Blue]

One coach whips out this printed out full-page list of things we need to watch for and tell us what the rules are. 

As a coach, if I pulled a stunt like that around here, I wouldn't see the kickoff. 

[110]

Where's the smiley that's bashing it's fool skull against a brick wall?

[With_Two_Flakes]

Where's the smiley that's bashing it's fool skull against a brick wall?

It got worn out from being over-used on officiating forums for threads about coaches. MicroSoft are trying to fix it so we can use it again.....

[mishatx]

One of them was: "our punter is a rugby style kicker and we know the rule is that once he starts running, he can go 5 yards from where he caught the ball and kick it on the run and still have protection."  My response, not tonight coach.

Well, to be fair, this isn't a terrible reading of 9-1-4.

[NVFOA_Ump]

Well, to be fair, this isn't a terrible reading of 9-1-4.

I'd agree.  The kicker's protection does not end by rule until he's outside of the tackle box (5 yards either side of the snapper).  So the 5 yards is basically correct.  If he uses his rugby style, takes a few steps one side or the other, then kicks while still within the tackle box, he's 100% protected as a kicker.

[JugglingReferee]

Before my high school game Saturday night, I went and did my pre-games with the coaches.  One coach whips out this printed out full-page list of things we need to watch for and tell us what the rules are.  Wow.  One of them was: "our punter is a rugby style kicker and we know the rule is that once he starts running, he can go 5 yards from where he caught the ball and kick it on the run and still have protection."  My response, not tonight coach.  He swore I was wrong.  His other items were who exactly to watch on any given type of play and that his receivers were going to get held every play!

Opening kick, same coach's player catches the ball at their 9 yard line returns the ball about 70 yards.  Problem is, he put his hand above his head before he caught it, who knows why.  I'm sure he didn't want a fair catch.  The coach about blow a gasket saying the kid was just moving into position to catch the ball.  Nope.  They got the ball on the 9.  Guess I should have flagged for delay, but I didn't have the heart to.

I'm with Atl Blue.   If I'm the R, he'd get to pick one point from that "list" and then we move on.

[Etref]

I also had a coach "explain" a play to me during the pre-game meeting. I had him draw it out. Ahh, to see the smile on his face as he artfully laid our his play. But then to see the whipped puppy dog look on his face when I explained it not to be a legal play...... His reply was of course  "when did they change that rule"



Oh well, gotta love 'em.

[NVFOA_Ump]

This discussion reminded me of a veteran old school R who used to listen intently and respectfully when a coach started his "lecture the officials pregame" telling us how to handle the game, for about a minute or so, and then he'd interrupt with something like "Don't worry coach, my crew knows the rules, and we'll call what we see fairly for both teams."  Then he'd have me cover the equipment certification questions and we'd be done.  He didn't like getting lectured to by a coach, especially pregame.